In my academic discipline (meteorology), I very occasionally see lysis used to refer to dissipation of a system where genesis has been used to describe its initial development.
However, lysis seems to really only have biological connotations, so is this usage correct? If not, what would an appropriate antonym for genesis be?
Dissipation is the first possibility to mind, especially if you are talking about very IMMORAL weather. Probably caused by climate-change. =] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissipation
Resolution.
Late PS: Perhaps because I'm a bit highbrow (note elevated snoot!) I tend to hate highbrow terms. Familiarity breeds contempt. So how about a good knuckle-dragging Neanderthal term instead? Like, um... fizzle.. Hurricane Gonzalo will fizzle somewhere between Bermuda and Newfoundland... fo'shizzle it'll fizzle (whoa! poetic!)
I think the antonym of "genesis" is "terminus." The general meaning of genesis (outside any particular contextual application) is "beginning." So the antonym should be a word that generally means "ending."
"Dissipation," "collapse," "completion," and "lysis" all are words that denote specific kinds of endings, and are only antonymic in particular contexts. Nonetheless, "dissipation" might be the best word for your usage case.
It seems to me that when "genesis" is used to describe the earth's creation, that its antonym isn't about the earth's death. It's about its "reconfiguration" or "recycling" in the cosmos.
I'm seeing several reference to hurricane dissipation: The dissipation of Hurricane Katrina, and the "Hurricane Formation, Movement, and Dissipation."
Before it dissipates, the hurricane will decay: "Hurricane Decay: Demise of a Hurricane." There's another word: demise.
Lysis seems to carry a connotation of cell death in the realm of biology. It seems like a metaphorical stretch to go from cell death to hurricane death, because one is very small and is literally dying; the other is very big and figuratively dying.
Was looking for a similar answer. Here are the words I've narrowed down to:
-terminus -coda -quietus
Hope one of those finds its way to your use.
How about ‘nemesis’ - the ‘agent of ultimate downfall’. The person or thing that causes the decline and downfall or demise of a person or thing.
Example:
“A source of harm or ruin: Uncritical trust is my nemesis. Retributive justice in its execution or outcome: To follow the proposed course of action is to invite nemesis. An opponent that cannot be beaten or overcome. One that inflicts retribution or vengeance.”
https://www.google.co.id/search?q=nemesis+meaning&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-id&client=safari
Genesis seems to mean something about beginnings, they usually start out small and have indicators of what will come or 'genetic" traits that its inherited; like a seed or a singular cell that splits itself into multiple in order to create. In creating this system it essentially becomes the system. Lysis seems adequate to categorize as an antonym as it is a small degeneration of these cells (metaphorical or not) that wipes out whole systems. Genesis is generation generation of whole systems at base level Lysis is a degeneration of systems at the base level
